


Getting to the Root of the Problem

by Imperial_Dreamer



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Comfort, Family, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 12:34:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13481595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imperial_Dreamer/pseuds/Imperial_Dreamer
Summary: A niggling ache in one of Ael’s back molars has been giving her mild grief for the past half ten-day, the pain increasing, prompting her to behave abnormally until she finally allows the newest problem on her plate to be exposed to her new family.Written by – Ael Rhiana-*A self-insert story, written when I was dealing with chronic tooth pain and needed a dose of comfort. This story was originally written in 2011, rewritten in 2018.**While part of a series, the main work has yet to be uploaded. This story doesn't fit with any other series I have currently uploaded.





	Getting to the Root of the Problem

**Author's Note:**

> A niggling ache in one of Ael’s back molars has been giving her mild grief for the past half ten-day, the pain increasing, prompting her to behave abnormally until she finally allows the newest problem on her plate to be exposed to her new family. 
> 
> Written by – Ael Rhiana-
> 
> *A self-insert story, written when I was dealing with chronic tooth pain and needed a dose of comfort. This story was originally written in 2011, rewritten in 2018.
> 
> **While part of a series, the main work has yet to be uploaded. This story doesn't fit with any other series I have currently uploaded.

The day began with a painful ache; the sensation in one of Ael’s molars on the righthand side of her mouth forcefully prodding her awake and into the world, succeeding in pulling a pained mewl from her lips as she rubbed a hand against her cheek and then rolled over, pulling her emerald green quilt up and over her head to drown out the sunlight that was streaming in through her partially open curtains.

To say it has been a lousy night’s sleep was a gross understatement if ever there was one, Ael’s eyes scrunched closed beneath her blanket, fighting to get at least another ten minutes of sleep if at all possible. She’d even settle for five. A twittering songbird made its way to the windowsill, chirping a cheerful song that usually saw Ael up and out of bed with a smile on her face, except for today, when Ael chose to sit bolt upright and whack her pillow at the window, frightening the sapphire and ruby colored songbird away from its perch.

Now upright, long copper tendrils of hair sticking up in all directions, green eyes crusted with sleep, a scowl on her normally smiling face, Ael tossed the quilt aside and half squinted, half glowered at the clock on her bedside table, grumbling in distaste when she saw the time.

“Eighth hour,” grumbled Ael, barely resisting the urge to slap the clock from the table; how in the world could she have slept in and yet feel so tired? “Maybe because I didn’t sleep much at all,” said Ael to no one. Before she could decide whether or not she would dare face the morning or simply allow her tired body to flop right back down in bed, a knock sounded on Ael’s bedroom door, the voice of her sister, T’Rul, floating in from the other side.

“Ael? Are you all right in there?” Silence. The door was quietly opened, T’Rul peeking in, and then opening the door and stepping inside when she saw Ael already sitting up on the bed, though her younger sister was certainly looking disheveled. It took only one look at Ael’s face for T’Rul to know something was the matter. “First meal is on the table,” said T’Rul, stepping closer to the bed, carefully appraising her sister.

Even though she felt ravenous, barely having eaten much at last night’s evening meal, the pain in her tooth, now spreading into her jaw caused Ael to say, “I’m not hungry.” And then her stomach rumbled loudly, Ael clamping a single hand across her middle as if to silence the beast within, glaring at it for making a liar out of her.

“What is it, Ael?” T’Rul was now by Ael’s bedside, peering into her sister’s drawn, tired face, unable to stop herself from passing a hand across Ael’s forehead, checking for fever. “No fever; are you feeling ill this morning?” Again, T’Rul was met both with silence and a grouchy expression, the older girl finally drawing out a confession when she said, “If you won’t tell me, I will have to fetch Father.”

“My tooth just hurts, all right?” Ael snapped, flopping back on the bed and grabbing for the quilt so she could pull it over her head and disappear from sight. T’Rul caught the quilt before Ael could hide beneath it, glancing down with a sympathetic look. Ael glared back and said, “And don’t you dare think of giving me one of your herbal concoctions for this. The last thing I want in my mouth, coating one of my teeth is something that tastes like, well, like something that shouldn’t be in my mouth, to begin with.”

Ignoring her sister’s outburst, also making a mental note that, at least this time a herbal remedy was not on the table, T’Rul said, “That certainly explains why you didn’t eat half as much as usual last night. When Father makes a pot of osilh, and that fresh flatbread; the only time I’ve ever seen you push a meal like that, one of your favorites away from you without eating much more than a bite or two was last winter when you had that nasty bout of flu.”

“I’m not sure I can eat,” Ael admitted, “but it’s more than that, T’Rul.” Staring up at the ceiling, Ael did her best to hold in the tears. “The way I feel right now, because of the lack of sleep, the pain; I feel disgustingly miserable and I don’t want to put my mood on anyone else.” And then her voice softened. “I’m also afraid of accidentally snapping at Daddy.” More than a bit of a daddy’s girl, Ael loved her father dearly, never desiring to disrespect or hurt him, two things that she was certain, at least this morning, her mood might inflict.

“When you tell him what’s wrong, Ael, you know he’ll understand the situation, giving you a bit of leeway with your mood. Besides, I’m sure Father would like to be made aware if you’re in pain.”

Sighing, Ael knew T’Rul was right, though she did ask if she might have another few minutes beneath her covers. “I’m just so tired,” said Ael, the words coming out etched with a whine.

“Stay here; try and rest, Ael,” said T’Rul, watching as her sister slipped beneath the quilt once the item was back in her grasp. _Father will be in to check on you soon_ , she added to herself.

When T’Rul walked into the dining room, Movar glanced up from the PADD he’d been reading, setting it down on the table, near his mug of still hot coffee, quirking a brow in regards to his youngest daughter’s absence from the breakfast table. It wasn’t like her to miss a meal or to sleep quite so late in the morning.

“Where is Ael; is everything all right?”

“Unfortunately, no,” said T’Rul. “Apparently, Ael has been silently nursing an aching tooth since yesterday at least, the pain worsening overnight. Honestly, I’m not entirely certain she has slept. Though hungry, Ael said she’d rather try and sleep than come to the table; I told her I would fetch you for her.”

“I will go to her,” said Movar, heading away from the table and to Ael’s room, making a short detour to grab a hypospray, already filled with a dose of analgesic, from the homes medical kit.

Upon reaching the door he knocked gently, opening the door and stepping in when he received no answer, greeted to the sight of a lump buried beneath the quilt. “Go away, T’Rul,” said Ael’s voice, muffled and teary. “I don’t feel well.”

“So I hear.”

At the sound of her father’s voice, Ael couldn’t help but weep. Despite her misery, the one person in the world who could always, somehow make everything all right had come to her aid. Once perched on the edge of Ael’s bed, Movar laid a hand on her back, or what he assumed was her back since she was still curled up under the quilt. Shifting her position, Ael made a tentative appearance from beneath her blanket, quickly deciding the best place to be was in her father’s arms, where she proceeded to hide her face away and sob.

“Oh, my winged one,” sighed Movar, holding his daughter tight, “I wish you had told me of this sooner.”

“I thought it would go away on its own,” said Ael with a sniffle. “It got worse after last meal even though I didn’t eat much; even after I cleaned my teeth, the one in the back still hurt, almost more than anything.”

“Were you able to rest at all, Ael?”

“Maybe a half hour,” said Ael, closing her eyes from her current, very comfortable position, nestled in her father’s arms. “I almost came up to your room last night but I didn’t want to wake you. You’ve been working long hours in the city and I figured you needed the sleep.”

“While true,” said Movar, stroking a hand along Ael’s back soothingly, “I would not have been upset had you come to me in the middle of the night; if something is wrong, whether it be pain or illness or a troubled mind after waking from a nightmare; you are always free to come to me, Ael.”

After promising to remember in the future, Ael, after holding tight for one more hug, was given a partial dose of medication from the hypospray, the substance acting so quickly Ael sighed in instant relief and slumped back on the bed, eyes drooping tiredly. A rumbling stomach was the only reason why she didn’t pull the quilt up, close her eyes and bid her father good night until some point in the afternoon.

After taking a minute to splash some cool water over her face, quickly running her hairbrush through her hair, pulling it back into a messy ponytail, Ael accompanied her father back to the dining room and this time she had a smile albeit a tired one, for her sister.

“I really should have asked for a dose of that stuff last night,” said Ael when recounting how the medication she’d been given had taken every last ounce of pain from her tooth. Now, if only it would stay away.

“It should keep the pain from returning, if it does return, for several hours at least,” said T’Rul. “After you eat something, I would strongly recommend returning to bed for another two or three hours.”

“Believe me,” said Ael with a yawn, helping herself to some yogurt and soft fruits, daring to add a sprinkle of granola (she was certain she could chew on the other side of her mouth), “I’m planning to collapse back in bed after my stomach quiets down.”

Once she had eaten her yogurt (including the crunchy bits) Ael returned to her room, deciding to give her teeth a quick clean before she retired back to bed for an hour or two of much-needed rest. Settling into her comfortable bed was easier than ever with no pain to interfere, Ael pulling her curtains closed to thrust the room into a comfortable dimness, a tired smile lighting her face when her father peeked into the room to check on her.

“Good timing,” said Ael with yet another yawn. “I was trying to decide if I should call you or not. I’m fine though,” she added quickly. “I was also wondering, how long will the medicine last for?” _I really don’t want to wake up in agony in another half hour or something, she thought._

“The dose you were given should last at least eight hours,” said Movar, reaching out to pat Ael’s hand. “There should be ample time for you to rest this morning, into the afternoon if you are able.”

“Likely,” said Ael, eyes already beginning to close. “Are you working from home today, Daddy?” For a moment, Ael’s expression of comfort faded into one of worry, changing back when her father confirmed that he was indeed working from his office within the home.

“I will be in my office if you need anything, Ael.”

“Okay,” she said, sleep quickly washing over her, the veil of unconsciousness swallowing her away to a carefree dreamscape where she could while away the next several hours in contentment, Movar rising from the bed to leave her to sleep, pausing by the door to say, softly,

“Rest well, my winged one.”

 

…

 

Carefree dreams and ease of rest faded away by mid-afternoon, Ael waking to a dull throb in her molar, one hand rubbing at her jaw as she had done earlier that morning, the first time she’d be so rudely woken after barely ten minutes of rest. At least this time, while the ache was only a mild one, Ael was glad to have gotten some sleep, a glance at her bedside table telling her that it was now nearly six hours since she had returned to bed after breakfast.

Stretching and yawning huge, Ael left the warm comfort of her bed and took herself into the bathroom for a long, hot soak in the bathtub, following it up by wearing one of her favorite summer dresses, a bright blue number with darker blue accents and hints of white, determined to keep her spirits up despite the ache in her mouth. Perhaps if she ignored the niggling throbbing by immersing herself in a PADD of studies she’d been ignoring as of late, the annoying sensation would go away on its own without the need for further painkillers.

Ael had no such luck: By the time the clock had ticked over to nineteenth hour, the time the family generally gathered around the dinner table, Ael was in agony, grinding her teeth together in a vain attempt to lessen the pain, making her way to the dining hall and attempting to keep a spring in her step and smile on her face.

“There you are,” said T’Rul, bringing her customary pot of fragrant tea to the table, taking a moment to appraise her sister. “Did you get much studying done after your nap this afternoon?”

“A little,” said Ael through gritted teeth, quickly drudging up a huge smile when T’Rul gave her a funny look. “Went out for a walk a bit ago; came back inside and nearly fell asleep again. Looking at the clock was what stopped me.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t,” said T’Rul, pouring out a cup of tea. “You would have missed one of your favorite meals tonight.”

 _Might just miss it anyway_ , thought Ael sourly, though she didn’t allow the smile to drop from her face. “Can’t wait,” said Ael almost a little too happily, making her way back to the kitchen to see if she could help bring anything out to the table.

Feiiha turned out to be on the menu: A buttery, flaky pastry stuffed full of roasted seasonal vegetables, minced meat and a delicate sauce with a sprinkle of herbs, baked until lightly golden and served with salad, and extra roasted vegetables on the side the color of summertime. Feeling ravenous, more so than usual, Ael happily served herself the second largest feiiha on the serving platter, piled salad and veggies on the plate beside it and wasted little time getting to the heart of her hunger. No matter how fiercely her tooth was aching; Ael was going to allow nothing to get in the way of one her most favorite meals.

“Goodness,” said T’Rul, quirking a brow in mild surprise, “you’re certainly hungry tonight, aren’t you?”

Nodding, Ael placed a hand over her mouth and smiled sheepishly beneath it. “Just a bit, yeah,” said Ael once she had swallowed. “Other than that bit of fruit and yogurt for breakfast; I don’t think my stomach appreciated me skipping over lunch, either.”

“Likely not,” T’Rul agreed, taking a sip from her teacup. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Ael nodded not trusting herself to speak for fear of either spraying bits of dinner across the table, her mouth might have been a little too full, or blurting out that she wasn’t as fine as her full plate made everything seem.

“I’m hoping everything stays OK,” said Ael once she’d swallowed, pausing to drink from her water glass, nearly wincing when the coolness of the water ran over her pained molar. “Another sleepless night… I’d rather not repeat it.” _Pretty sure it’s going to happen, anyway…_

During the course of the meal, Ael’s tooth continued to be a bother, though it didn’t stop her from finishing everything on her plate or making small talk around the table, mostly in regards to what the following day’s activities might be. Maybe she could talk her father into taking them out to the stable for a keroshback ride tomorrow, something Ael had already been treated to since her adoption into the family. It would certainly help her feel better, she was sure of it.

However, her tooth kept trying to persuade her otherwise, insisting that nothing short of a dental visit, was going to help terribly much. 

 _I’m going to ignore you_ , thought Ael in regards to her tooth, a grin lighting her face when Movar, with a little extra prodding from Ael, agreed that the following day would see the family embarking on a day trip to one of Ael’s favorite places on the planet: The kerosh stables. _And you’re not going to keep me from it, so settle down_ , Ael thought to her tooth.

After Ael had been excused from the table, taking her plate back to the sink to wash, only then did she allow the façade that she had been keeping up through last meal to fade, a pained expression taking its place. Allowing a soft groan of pain to roll from her tongue, Ael placed her dishes in the sink, leaning on the countertop and closing her eyes against the fierce pain in her tooth, now traveling into her ear. Feeling mildly annoyed with herself for not having asked for another dose of pain relief before mealtime, Ael decided to seek out her father for another dose, praying that it wouldn’t immediately cancel their plans made over dinner, for a trip to the stables the following afternoon.

Movar was easy to locate: Ael found him still at the table and finishing his cup of ale, nearly bumping into T’Rul who was taking a few things from the table back to the sink. Making sure her sister was out of sight, Ael stepped over to her father and allowed her expression to do most of the talking for her. 

“Daddy, I’ve been a bit dumb,” said Ael with a hand pressed to her cheek. Movar didn’t even need to ask what she meant, though he did assure her she was anything but dumb.

“There was a lapse in your usually good judgment,” said Movar matter-of-fact. “When did the pain return, Ael?”

“It was fussing a bit when I woke up from my nap,” she said. “Nothing horribly painful, more like a dull throbbing. By the time I was called to the table for last meal, it was a lot worse,” Ael admitted, feeling somewhat ashamed for making everything out to be fine when it hadn’t been. “Sorry for making it seem like everything was OK; I should have asked for another hypo before dinner.”

“There is no reason to apologize, Ael. Come; we will get you some more medicine.”

With an audible sigh of relief, Ael trailed just behind her father, though truth be told she was still somewhat anxious concerning the following day’s activities. After the hypo had been given, Ael voiced her thoughts.

“Daddy, is this, my tooth trouble, going to keep us from going keroshback riding tomorrow afternoon?”

Green eyes beseeched him to say that it absolutely wasn’t going to interfere, that another hypo could be given before departure, perhaps on the way home again to keep everything running smoothly and Ael feeling well, but Movar never lied to his daughters, Ael remembering that fact clearly when he told her that it might.

“My winged one, I do wish I could give you an absolute answer and one that you would most like to hear, unfortunately, I cannot give you a guarantee. That fact that you’re in constant, almost agonizing pain isn’t something I care to ignore. We may have made our initial plans a bit too quickly.”

“We could just take along a hypo, though, right?”

“We could; I simply dislike keeping your body pumped full of painkillers, ones that are also not being as effective as they normally should be.” Placing his fingers under her chin, Movar gently raised her gaze and noticed the wetness in her eyes. “When we are out for the day, Ael, I want you to be focused on the good time that you are having; I don’t want your mind to stay focused on how much your tooth is bothering you or when your next dose of pain relief will come.”

“That’s fair,” said Ael quietly, despite her disappointment. “Can we at least see how I am tomorrow?”

“We will wait and see,” said Movar, taking Ael into his arms for a hug. “However, you must promise that you will be truthful about how you’re feeling. If there is any pain, we will have to take you to the dental clinic”

The last thing Ael wanted to do was spend a gorgeous spring day at the dentist’s office, getting her tooth looked at. True, it wouldn’t take much time at all to find, and then mend the problem, but it was still not her idea of a good time and would waste what could have otherwise been, to her, the perfect day, the clinic in the complete opposite direction of the stables altogether.

Consoled with the fact that the trip to the stables would only be put off by one day, pending an emergency call from the Capitol, calling Movar in for an impromptu meeting, Ael resigned herself to trying to relax before turning in earlier than normal.

After several good games of khariat with T’Rul, one horrible attempt at attempting to play chess with her father later, Ael headed off for a warm, soothing soak in the tub before bed. And as she pulled the curtains closed before settling beneath the warm and cozy quilt, ratty old stuffed tiger tucked beneath her chin, Ael sent up a silent prayer, hoping with all her heart that the day to come was filled with kerosh rather than misery.

 

…

 

Ael woke the next morning clutching at her jaw, the extra dose of pain medication her father had given her in the middle of the night, barely a few short hours ago already having worn away. Still curled up on her father’s bed, wrapped warmly in the crimson-colored quilt that covered it, Ael attempted to sit up, quick to sink wearily back onto the bed when the exhaustion from the past two days reminded her she didn’t have the energy to spare.

Instead of wasting what little energy she had in trying to sit upright, Ael turned her attention to squinting at the clock on the bedside table, groaning loudly at the display. On a normal morning, Ael would have been up long before now, already having accomplished a morning workout, soaked in the tub, had breakfast and then retreated out into the garden with a PADD of studies, content to stay outside until it was time for the midday meal.  

Today was yet another not-normal morning, Ael squeezing her eyes closed around the forming tears, the sob caught in her throat finding its way out when she called out for her father to aid her.

After a small dose of medication, enough to take the edge off the pain, and a good five minutes of holding tight to her father while shedding tears in silence, Ael trudged back to her room, wiping the standing tears from her eyes, her father already in the process of making an appointment for her at the dental clinic. Resisting the urge to fall into her bed, pulling the covers up and over her head to escape the day, Ael forced her feet to take her into the bathroom where she splashed cool water on her face and ran a brush through disheveled hair, pulling the coppery colored strands back into a messier ponytail than usual. Only when she had succeeded in pulling on some clean clothes did Ael, after opening her curtains, allow her body to collapse down into bed, though she didn’t bother to hide from the world with her quilt pulled over her head.

Feeling too worn down to bother going to the table for breakfast, Ael stayed in bed, eyes open, staring out through the window at the loveliest spring day she’d seen in a while, a day perfect for seeing from the back of a kerosh.

“Only today, I won’t be,” Ael mumbled with a sigh. At least once the ache in her molar had been seen to, Ael knew she could catch up on some much-needed rest. The thought was only mildly comforting.

Unable to sleep, Ael continued to stare listlessly through the window, scarcely seeing the outside world at all, never taking any notice of the bright orange and yellow songbird that chose to perch on the windowsill, the bird twittering almost a little too cheerily, as if attempting to brighten the mood, bolster the spirit of the ailing girl flopped down on her bed.

Ael was still oblivious to the outside world a short time later, heading down the front path, her father at her side, headed to the ground car for the journey to the clinic, she noticed nothing. The brightness of the exceptionally clear day, the blue-green grass in the yard, the flowering trees around the home; even the smell of fresh spring blossoms wafting on the breeze from the gardens did nothing to make Ael lift her head.

Eyes closed, Ael attempted to find rest on the journey from home into the city, stumbling on a hint of it mere moments before the destination had been reached. An irritated noise on her lips, similar to that of a still-tired toddler being woken from a nap, Ael attempted to shrug off the hand gently shaking her shoulder to wake her, her face burying down into the crook of her arm resting along the window.

A bit of gentle coaxing was needed for Ael to open the door and grudgingly slide out of the vehicle, green eyes downcast while she waited for her father to make his way to her side. Pressing close to her father’s side, Ael, still a bit grudgingly, trudged up the walkway to the main doors of the clinic, barely seeing them as they slid aside to allow entry.

“Will they even see me here?” Ael suddenly asked in a worried way. “I mean, I’m a…” She couldn’t quite bear to say the word “human”. Silently, she wondered why she hadn’t bothered to ask about this earlier.

“Everything has been taken care of, Ael,” Movar assured her. “Do not worry; you will be given the finest care.”

Choosing to trust what she’d been assured, Ael and her father entered the sliding doors of the clinic, everything progressing so quickly that Ael, as exhausted and deprived of sleep as she was, took notice.

“Come this way,” instructed a kind-faced, middle-aged woman in a white clinician’s coat, Ael and her father following just behind into room that might have passed for an ordinary sickbay aboard a space vessel. Taking a seat on the biobed, shifting her weight on the uncomfortably firm surface, Ael attempted to stifle a large yawn while a medical tricorder was passed, beeping and whirring, near her head. She almost swatted it away; the sound the thing made was annoying enough she grit her teeth to keep potentially snappy words lodged in her throat, the action of clenching her teeth together so tightly, forcing Ael’s face to twist up in a pained grimace.

“So what is it?” Ael asked, pressing a hand to her jaw. It felt like the pain medication her father had given her, barely an hour and a half ago had already worn away.

“It would appear you have a good-sized cavity in your secondary molar, including a mild infection.” Closing the tricorder and placing it down on a nearby tray, the clinician began preparing two hyposprays, selecting an instrument from yet another tray before returning to Ael and pressing the first hypo to her neck, dispensing the medication with a soft hiss, the second following after.

Reaching up to rub the side of her neck, Ael’s expression suddenly changed, her lids drooping, jaw unclenching; even her shoulders sagged in apparent relief from the discomfort she’d been enduring for what felt like months. “Was that pain medicine,” asked Ael, suddenly wishing she was home so she could curl up in bed and sleep.

“The second hypo was an analgesic, yes,” she said. “The first one dispensed some rather potent antibiotics into your system, which should take care of the infection that had begun in the affected tooth. Now,” she continued, lifting the instrument, “please open your mouth and stay as still as you can.”

Lacking the necessary energy to do more than warily eye the small cylindrically shaped object and its tiny green light, Ael complied, shutting her eyes tighter than necessary, almost as though she expected pain. A soft, distinctly alien noise filled Ael’s ears while her tooth was tended to, a light passing over the affected area of decay, causing no discomfort and fixing the problem without fuss or fanfare in under a minute.

“Tell me, were your teeth never sealed with a trifluorinate compound?”

The question was met with an instant shake of Ael’s head, and she ran her tongue over her mended tooth while thinking how verbally to respond. Trifluorinate was a clear substance that was used by many cultures as a way to guard against tooth decay and the resulting cavities, most undergoing the simple procedure as children, once their adult teeth had come in.

Before the clinician could ask, “And why weren’t they?” or turn to (possibly) lecture the only parental figure standing in the room, Ael said, “Please, don’t blame Daddy. My past parents didn’t exactly care about me so…” Lifting her shoulders in a shrug, Ael glanced at her father for help. She didn’t know what else she could say.

Movar stepped close and placed a steady, comforting hand on Ael’s shoulder. “Ael has only been on the homeworld for a short time, and unfortunately, she came from a neglectful home that likely saw it unnecessary to have her teeth properly sealed.”

“I see. Would you like it seen to now? As you know, it’s a simple procedure that takes around twenty minutes to complete, and it would protect your daughter’s teeth against future decay.”

Exchanging a quick glance with her father, his expression telling her they could always wait for another day after she’d had some rest, Ael decided to nod her head in response to the clinician’s question.

“Since we’re here and all,” said Ael though she didn’t sound impressed by her own decision to stay longer at the dental clinic than necessary. “There’s a good chance I’ll fall asleep during it.” This time, Ael didn’t bother to stifle her yawn.

True to her thoughts, Ael fell into a light sleep during the procedure, never, at least not at the time, wondering how her mouth had stayed open during the course of treatment. Mind foggy from only being able to lightly doze twice in the last two hours, Ael, after saying a tired “thank you” to the clinician, relieved she would be cavity-free for at least the next few decades at least, if not for the remainder of her life, headed out of the clinic with her father beside her.

Ael fell into a sound sleep on the way home, emitting soft snores every few breaths, one of them so sudden and loud that she nearly woke. That was the only instance of its kind during the journey home, including once the car had come to a stop in the parking bay off the side of the house. Movar only attempted to wake his daughter once, deciding it was best to allow her to stay asleep, carefully lifting her out of the car to carry her back inside, where she was gently placed on the bed, her blanket drawn up, and kiss placed on her forehead, old stuffed cat moved from the foot of the bed to rest beside her.

With a simple yet loving, “Rest well, my winged one,” Movar quietly let himself from the room, a little smile forming on Ael’s face from within a dream, a dream that told her never again would she be alone and without family, and that tomorrow, and the days that followed were sure to be brighter ones.


End file.
